Thursday, July 01, 2010

Will Homeland Security Investigate The Michigan/Canada Relationship

Did you see this terrible story reported in the press? And now about the alleged Russian spies in the US?

It seems though that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service Director is back-tracking. Yet he is a well-repected career bureaucrat who ought to know better. Did this outburst the day before his arrival have anything to do with the Chinese President coming to Canada for the G20/G-8 meetings. A not-so-subtle warning that we are watching you perhaps with built-in Government deniability so the Prime Minister can say he had no idea what was going to be said.

I hope that there was a real strong reason for him to say what he did because I can see how it can be turned against Canada as a result of the DRIC/P3 Bill believe it or not. Even though we are "friends" with the US.

Shades of the cold war, KGB, spies, industrial espionage:

"Some politicians under foreign sway: CSIS

Richard Fadden, director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, in an exclusive interview with the CBC.

Canada's spy agency suspects that cabinet ministers in two provinces are under the control of foreign governments, CBC News has learned.

Several members of B.C. municipal governments are also under suspicion, Richard Fadden, the director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, told CBC News in an exclusive interview.

"We're in fact a bit worried in a couple of provinces that we have an indication that there's some political figures who have developed quite an attachment to foreign countries," Fadden said.

"The individual becomes in a position to make decisions that affect the country or the province or a municipality. All of a sudden, decisions aren't taken on the basis of the public good but on the basis of another country's preoccupations."

He said the politicians and public servants see it as a long-standing relationship and have no idea they are being used.

"There are several municipal politicians in British Columbia and in at least two provinces there are ministers of the Crown who we think are under at least the general influence of a foreign government."

Fadden said the agency is in the process of discussing with the Privy Council Office the best way to inform those provinces there may be a problem.

"We'll do the same with the public servants. I'm making this comment because I think it's a real danger that people be totally oblivious to this kind of issue."

Fadden warned that foreign regimes — through universities and social clubs — will develop a relationship with people who have a connection to the homeland.

"You invite somebody back to the homeland. You pay [for] their trips and all of a sudden you discover that when an event is occurring that is of particular interest to country "X," you call up and you ask the person to take a particular view," Fadden said."

Hmmmm. I wonder now. Will Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano feel obliged to make some comment if a Senior Canadian Government Minister comes to the US?

After all, Homeland Security is concerned about Canada. While we are not treated like Mexico yet

"The measures I’ve described today are for the Southwest border. However, we have other measures we we’ve apply at the northern border. Including more deployment of mobile-type radar systems, more agents – [to meet] the congressional mandate on the number of agents that have to be at the northern border. We have excellent cooperation with the RCMP and have an aggressive program under way now to improve and provide better equipment and technology in the ports of entry all along the northern border.”

I wonder how she will react once she is made aware of the huge change in Michigan's P3 Bill to benefit Canada. Will she want to investigate further.

It is not hard to make the case.

From this in the P3 Bill originally:

"Instrumentality of government" means a legal public entity created or empowered to carry out functions commonly carried out by units of government."

To this:

"Instrumentality of government" means a public entity created or empowered to carry out functions commonly carried out by units of government, public agencies, or public authorities.

Instrumentality of government additionally means the government of Canada or a public agency or public authority created by the government of Canada or another state of the United States or a corporation without share capital created and empowered under the Canadian international bridges and tunnels act to carry out functions commonly carried out by the government of Canada."

Oh sure, Minister Baird pooh-poohed any negative suggestions about Canada taking over any Michigan sovereignty. DUH, what would you expect him to say "Darn, you caught us!" Why then was the provision put in?

Didn't this change come in around the time when Canada offered its two-page letter supposedly offering Michigan a riskless, no-brainer offer of money, $550 million worth. That money was to encourage Michigan House members to pass the P3 Bill and accomplished that objective according to the Minister. In anyone's league, that is a lot of money.

Just think of the broad scope of the P3 Bill. It is much more than merely the DRIC Bridge: any new or existing domestic or international highway, lane, road, bridge, tunnel, overpass, ramp, interchange, ferry, airport, vehicle parking facility, vehicle transportation facility, port facility, locks facility, rail facility, intermodal or other public transit facility.

The DRIC bridge is worry enough since Canada keeps telling us that it is Canada's most important project. The Minister keeps reminding us how much of our trade goes over the Ambassador Bridge and also, interestingly enough, about all of the security concerns.

I wonder if Homeland Security will be as impressed as I was about the role of the Bridge Authority which all of a sudden has become front and centre to supposedly shield Michigan from any liability. Sure some members will be American but will they be people that have been "contaminated" by Canada ie who "are under at least the general influence of a foreign government." Will Canada get to choose the Americans while the "non-loan" loan is outstanding? Who knows since there are no Terms and Conditions yet.

Why it is interesting is no one would be concerned if the Authority defaulted where they would be concerned if Michigan defaults. And default it must because no one wants to provide any information whatsoever that total revenues would exceed costs. I am sure that Homeland Security will pick up on the fact that Canada is now talking about "availability payments" rather than a deal in which payments come from toll revenues only.

Naturally if there is a default, the Bridge goes to the investors, most of whom are foreign including some Canadian banks, or presumably to the guarantor who may well be the Government of Canada. In any case, the control of the most important land crossing in North America is lost to Americans and this corridor of trade into and out of the United States is no longer in American hands.

Obviously, if Canada has reason to be concerned if "cabinet ministers in two provinces are under the control of foreign governments" then I would expect that the United States ought to be concerned if there is a potential for a foreign country to control the trade and corridors of a State and the United States of America.

Do you understand now why I am so critical of the Canadian Government and how it is treating its relationship with the United States? I have written before that Prime Minister Harper is getting bad advice about how to deal with the Americans. I've also written that the Ambassador Bridge will become a flashpoint between our two countries if someone is not careful. It may become our new softwood lumber case as the NAFTA litigation moves forward

I hate to say it but I would expect that very soon I may be able to say "I told you so."

About Me

Here are some musings about the state of events in Windsor from the perspective of an interested observer of local politics.
Sometimes we just have to help out! I have the luxury of time to do and say what I want.
Agree with me or disagree, it does not matter as long as you take an active role in ensuring that the Community we live in prospers.
Anonymous "Whistleblowers" everywhere are invited to write!! I'll check out also interesting "rumours" and will write about them.